Where each ex-Cat in the draft should end up — and where they’ll actually go
The NBA Draft begins at 7 p.m. Thursday. While many basketball fans across the world will be concerned with who their favorite team selects to improve or save the franchise, University of Kentucky supporters will stay tuned to see where their favorite guys land.
Why wait until Thursday? Let’s pick landing spots for all eight former Cats in this year’s draft.
De’Aaron Fox
Best fit: Phoenix Suns (fourth overall pick)
Probable destination: Sacramento Kings (fifth overall pick)
Rationale: Fox’s combination of speed and ability to beat opponents off the dribble are the stuff NBA general managers dream of when assessing needs at what’s transformed into the league’s most important position on the court. So why would the Suns pass on the SEC Tournament MVP?
Phoenix has three point guards who will be under contract for the 2017-18 season, and coincidentally, played at UK — Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and Tyler Ulis. Bledsoe and Knight are the two highest-paid players on a roster that finished worst in the Western Conference last season and both could be playing in different cities next season, But unless they’re moved by or on Thursday night it’d be difficult to see Phoenix selecting Fox over Kansas’ Josh Jackson or Duke’s Jayson Tatum, either of whom could address a glaring weakness on the wing.
Which is too bad, because Fox is the type of floor general who could potentially improve Phoenix’s already gaudy pace of play (104.6 possessions per game in 2016-17). It would also give it another potential backcourt star who’s actually on the same timetable as the sharpshooter Devin Booker. Fox, a confident offensive player despite questionable shooting ability, showed a willingness to defer to Malik Monk at UK; imagine the production he and Booker could combine for in the desert.
He’ll end up in Sacramento because the Kings haven’t had stability at point guard since Mike Bibby was lacing up his sneakers. Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball — points guards who are rated higher on most draft boards — probably won’t be there at Sacramento’s selection, so it’ll select its fourth player out of Kentucky in the last eight drafts.
Malik Monk
Best fit: New York Knicks (eighth overall pick)
Probable destination: New York Knicks (eighth overall pick)
Rationale: Finishing in the bottom half of the league in three-point percentage in today’s NBA is not a positive indicator; of the 15 lowest-ranked teams in behind-the-arc shooting last season, only four — Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Oklahoma City — finished above .500. New York was 21st overall at 34.8 percent.
So in comes Monk, a near 40-percent shooter from distance who excels at creating his own shot. Assuming he can play average-level defense — or score enough so that it makes up for any defensive deficiencies — Monk should at the very least have a lengthy NBA career as a sixth man.
How might he erupt into a bona fide star in the Big Apple? Coming into the draft there’s been lots of talk of Monk becoming a point guard in the NBA. On its face, his 1.14 assist-to-turnover ratio doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in him as a lead play maker, but sharing a backcourt with De’Aaron Fox lent itself to Monk playing off the ball more than he’s likely to in New York.
The Knicks have one point guard under contract heading into the draft — Chasson Randle, who played sparingly after being signed in late February. If New York continues to insist on running the triangle offense, Monk could be the starting “point guard” in a system that doesn’t feature the position as much as others and develop his ball-handling on the fly.
Playing alongside dynamic forwards such as Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis would allow Monk more space to work than he had at Kentucky, though those two consistently find themselves in trade rumors. Whether he’s ready for the pressure or not, Monk could become the face of one of the league’s biggest franchises early in his career.
Bam Adebayo
Best fit: Oklahoma City (21st overall pick)
Probable destination: Portland Trail Blazers (26th overall pick)
Rationale: What better place for a Serge Ibaka prototype to land than the organization where Ibaka flourished into a prominent NBA big man?
At the point where Adebayo is expected to be taken, most teams aren’t looking for a day-one star as much as they are depth and potential breakout guys that could be difference-makers two or three years down the road. As a forward who packs a lot of power in his “undersized” frame, Adebayo is going to be selected on the basis by whichever team ends up calling his name.
The Thunder make sense. It’s a franchise facing something of an identity crisis following Kevin Durant’s departure. Two of its highest-paid players are Steven Adams and Enes Kanter, the latter of whom has carved out a rare role as an off-the-bench scoring big man. If a player like Adebayo comes in and impresses, it could enable OKC to more easily move Kanter’s hefty contract without jeopardizing the team’s success.
In the past week Adebayo has moved up draft boards thanks to impressive workouts with the Denver Nuggets and Charlotte Hornets. He hit 13 of 25 threes during his Charlotte demonstration; anything approaching that level of consistency in game action would do wonders for the UK big man’s future.
The Portland Trail Blazers seem like the safest bet because a.) They have three first-round picks and b.) Contracts for four of their six bigs are up after next season. Depth will be on Portland’s mind, but if a team higher in the draft fell in love with Adebayo — Charlotte and Denver both select in the lottery range, where picking him would be perceived as a reach — then a trade could come into play.
Second-round hopefuls
Best fit: Brooklyn Nets (summer league contract)
Probable destination: G League
Rationale: Briscoe’s confidence and physical profile make him an intriguing defensive prospect at the NBA level. His shooting (in)ability, particularly from behind the arc, makes it tough to see him carving out a consistent role in the league. His best bet for league exposure will be for franchises that are unlikely to contend for the foreseeable future.
Best fit: San Antonio Spurs (summer league contract)
Probable destination: Overseas
Rationale: Had he grown a few inches taller Hawkins might have had a much different basketball life. It’s hard to disregard the one he’s had, though: the 6-foot point guard won a state championship and became a key rotation player for college basketball’s winningest program. His defensive acumen, solid shooting numbers and “heart” will allow him to play in Europe for as long as he wants.
Best fit: Boston Celtics (56th overall pick)
Probable destination: Overseas
Rationale: The Celtics own three second-round picks entering Thursday’s draft. It’s not crazy to think they could spend one of them on a project big man who showed potential to play away from the rim in his final weeks at UK. His international profile will make landing with a professional team outside the states a breeze while affording him the option to make an NBA leap later should he impress elsewhere.
Best fit: Toronto Raptors (summer league contract)
Probable destination: G League
Rationale: His shooting ability and the Kentucky brand will afford Mulder plenty of opportunities overseas, but comments made by his dad suggest the guard would be willing to stick it out in the NBA’s recently re-named developmental league and wait for a call-up to fill out a roster.
Best fit: Cleveland Cavaliers (summer league contract)
Probable destination: G League
Rationale: Acquiring talent that can space the floor and switch defensively has been the Cavs’ modus operandi lately, and that shows no signs of changing as they look to improve their odds of knocking out the Golden State Warriors in 2018. Willis fits that bill and is athletic enough to play himself into a rotation role for any of the league’s contenders.
Josh Moore: 859-231-1307, @HLpreps
This story was originally published June 21, 2017 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Where each ex-Cat in the draft should end up — and where they’ll actually go."